Machine for rubbing and polishing buttons



(No Model.)

B. P. HOWE.

MACHINE FOR RUBBING AND POLISHING BUTTONS.

Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

N PETERS. Phnm-Lflhographur. Wzelvinglon. nc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD P. HOIVE, OF NORTHBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR RUBBING AND POLISHING BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,185, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed August 11, 1887. Serial No. 246,702. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, EDWARD P. HOWE, of Northborough, county of \Vorcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Rubbing and Polishing Buttons, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to con.- struct a machine for rubbing andpolishing buttons.

In accordance with this invention the buttons to be acted upon are placed in suitable button holders or carriers mounted in or upon a button-carrying frame, which is adapted to be moved toward and from the ordinary cloth ball or other equivalent abrading-roll. Suitable means are also provided for rotating the button-holders, so that while the buttons are being acted upon transversely by the ball or roll they are caused to rotate on an axis common to the axis of the button. The buttoncarrying frame is pivoted at the upper end of a standard or support, which is in turn pivoted to asuitable base, limiting-stops or equivalent devices being provided for limiting the movement of the bLitton-carrying frame on its pivot in one or both directions. Other limiting-stops or equivalent devices are provided for limiting the movements of the standard or support for the button-carrying frame in one or bot-h directions. The button-holders are preferably detachable, so that various sizes may be employed in connection with the apparatus herein to be described. I have herein shown the button-holders as located side by side in rotatable sockets or receivers which are mounted in the lmtton-carrying frame, the said receivers or sockets each having a toothed gear which intermeshes one with another, and the main driving-gear is employed to rotate them, said main driving-gear being rotated by hand, or otherwise.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a machine for rubbing and polishing buttons embodying this invention; Fl 2, a plan view of the button-carrying frame; Fg. 3, a side or en d view of the button-carrying frame shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a sectional detail of one of the buttonholders, to be referred to; and Fig. 5, a detail of the standard or support.

The buttons to be rubbed or polished, they being made, for instance, of either horn, rubber, celluloid, vegetable ivory, and the like, are placed in cup-shaped button-holders a, of suitable shape to receive and hold them. The button-holders o are each provided with a split spindle or stem, a, (see Fig. 4,) which enters a socketor receiver, a mounted to be freely rotated in a button-carrying frame, A, the spindle or stem co of the button-holder also having laterally-projecting pins 2, which enter slot-s cut in the sockets or receivers, to thereby cause the b utton-holders to be rotated simultaneously with the sockets or receivers.

Several button-holders are located side by side in the button-carrying frame, and are made detachable, as above described, in order that different sized and shaped holders may be employed in the samemachine for different buttons, yet it is obvious that, if desired, the button-holders and their sockets or receivers may be made as one piece.

The bu tton-carryin g frame A consi, s, essentially, of a top plate havin a series of sockets for the button-holder sockets and of side plates, which are bolted to the top plate, the said side plates having each a recess to fit over a rod, 3, upon which the said carryingframe is mounted to rock for a definite distance, for purposes to he hereinafter described, one or both of the said side plates being provided with a fixed or rigid stop, 4., which strikes a stud, 5, projecting from the standard or support B, in which the rod 3 is held.

The stop 1), pivoted to the side plate of the carrying-frame A at G and made adjustable therein by the screw 8, passed through the slot 7 into the frame, strikes against the stud 5 at that side opposite the stop .4, and governs the tipping or rocking movement of the carrying-frame in that direction.

The standard B, which sustains the buttoncarrying frame, is pivoted atits lower end, as at c, to a suitable base-block or to the floor, and to vary the movement of said standard or support in one or the other direction a sector, 0, is loosely mounted upon the pivot c, said sector having a slot, 0 through which passes a screw, 0 which enters the standard or support, to thereby firmly hold the sector at any desired position with relation thereto.

One portion or arm of the sector is made somewhat shorter than the other, so that when the standard or support is in its vertical position one end or arm rests upon the floor or base, and when the said standard or support is in its other position-such, for instance, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1the other end or arm of the sector rests upon the floor or base, the adjustment above set forth being provided for changing the limit of movement of the said standard.

The standard or support is herein shown as composed of two bars, d d, joined together by an intermediate brace, (1 and two bars, d d, adjustably attached to the upper ends "of the bars d d, the rod 3, upon which the button-carrying frame is mounted, being held between the bars d (1*.

The shield or plate e is pivoted to the standard or support between the side bars, such shield being held in nearly vertical position by a spring, 15, so that its upper end bears against the button-carryin g frame A when the standard or support is in the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 1, to thereby prevent par ticles removed from the buttons by the ball from falling or being thrown into the box or receptacle 0, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) into which the buttons are finally received, and in order to permit the button-carrying frame to be reversed sufficiently to permit the buttons contained in the button-holders to fall into said receptacle, the shield e is drawn away from said frame as the latter assumes its vertical position, or recedes from the ball or roll D, by a cord or chain, 6, one end of which is attached to the shield above its pivoted connection, the other end of the cord 7 being secured to the base-block or floor.

The button-holder-receiving sockets are herein shown as provided each with atoothed gear, f, (see Fig. 3 and dotted lines, Fig. 2,) said gears intermeshing one with another, one of the socketsas, for instance, the middle onebeing provided with a bevel-gear, f, which is engaged by a bevel-gear, f fast to an angular rod or shaft, f having its bearings in the button-carrying frame A. The rod or shaft f is herein shown as rotated by acrank, f, yet it is obvious that the same may be rotated by power or in any other usual manner.

It will be seen that as the shaft f is rotated all the sockets a will be rotated in one or another direction, and so far as the purpose for such rotation is herein desired it does not matter which way the socket revolves.

It is also obvious that instead of employing a set of gearing as herein shown for rotating the sockets a they may be rotated in many different ways by well-known equivalent devices without departing from the essential features of this invention.

In the operation of the machine herein described the buttons are placed in the button holders, the apparatus at such time being in the position shown by full lines, Fig. l. The standard or support is then moved toward the ball or roll D, so that the buttons held in the rotating holders to come in contact with the surface of the ball or roll as the latter rotates. The surface of each button is subjected to a transverse rubbing or polishing action in. varying radial lines. After the buttons have been sufficiently rubbed or polished, the standard or support B is returned to its normal position, the button-carrying frame A is moved upon its rod 3 a short distance, sufficient to disengage the stud 5, and thereafter said frame is reversed or overturned, permitting the buttons contained in the button-holder to fall into the box or receptacle C.

I claim- 1. In a machine for rubbing or polishing buttons, a series of cup-shaped button-holders and a button-carrying frame therefor, combined with an adjustable pivoted standard or support for the button-carrying frame, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for rubbing or polishing buttons, a series of cup-shaped rotatable button holders and a button carrying frame therefor, combined with a standard or support for the button-carrying frame pivoted at its lower end, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for rubbing or polishing buttons, a series of rotatable button-holders provided each with a split stem, a, combined with a recessed button-carrying frame for the holders, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for rubbing or polishing buttons, a series of cup shaped detachable button-holders provided with laterally-projecting pins 2 and slotted rotatable sockets therefor, combined with the button-carrying frame A, for the rotatable sockets, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for rubbing or polishing buttons, a series of button-holders and a pivoted button-carrying frame therefor, provided with recessed sides and limiting-stops for said button-carryin g frame, combined with a pivoted standard or support adapted to carry the said frame at its upper end, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for rubbing or polishing buttons, a series of cup-shaped button-holders, and means, substantially as described, for rotating them, and a pivoted button-carrying frame for the button-holders, combined with the upright standard or support pivoted at its lower end, and an adjustable limiting stop or device consisting of the slotted section a, for said standard or support, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for rubbing or polishing buttons, tlie button-holders and their pivoted carrying-frame, and a pivoted standard or support therefor, combined with the pivoted shield e and means for operating it as the standard or support is moved, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In a machine for rubbing or polishing buttons, a series of parallel rotatable bnttonsaid frame, whereby the button-holders are holders, combined with a rotatable abrading presented radially to the ball or roll, substanroll or ball, the axis of rotation of the said tially as described.

button-holders being, at right angles with and In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 5 radial to the axis of rotation of the roll or ball, name to this specification in the presence of substantially described. two subscribing Witnesses.

9 In a machine for rubbing" or polishing EDVARD HOWYE buttons, a rotating abrading' ball or roll, combined with a button-carrying frame contain- \Vitnesses: Io ing a series of independent button-holders, BERNICE J NOYEs.

and an oscillating standard or support for the F. L. EMERY. 

